What is SS USB?

What is SS USB?

SS USB is an acronym that means "SuperSpeed USB" where USB means "Universal Serial Bus".

USB is a type of interface the is used to connect computers to storage devices and digital cameras to transfer data.  SS USB designates USB 3, which is not only faster than USB 2, but can provide more power.  SS USB can provide power for storage drives and even computer monitors through the SS USB port.

SS USB ports are labeled with "SS" in front of the USB logo.  In some cases, SS USB ports are colored blue.  A new row of pins is added in the SS USB interface to support the higher speed data rates.

How Fast is SS USB?

SS USB supports a data transfer rate of up to 5 Gigabits/second.  This is 10x faster than USB 2.0.  SS USB supports full duplex communication (simultaneous transmit and receive), where USB 2 supports only half duplex communication- this provides the potential for SS USB to actually be 20x faster than USB 2.

How Do I Know If I Have SS USB?

If your look closely at the USB ports on your computer, you'll notice a USB logo.  If the USB logo has the letters "SS" in front of it, you have a SS USB port.  Another indicator is if blue plastic is used in the USB port.  Close inspection of a SS USB port will show that it has an extra row of pins compared with a "regular" USB port.

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